When to get Baby Chicks - Lessons Learned

[MTopPA_18707]

TIP SUMMARY: Get your chicks late enough in the season that they can move out of the house by week 4.

- - - - - - - - -

I'm new to chickens . . . the weekend of March 15th we got 13 chicks and they are all still doing great.

To prepare, I read three books on raising chickens and got tons of info from BYC.
I kept a little notebook, etc.

I really learned a lot which helped me take great care of my birds.

- - - - - -

This post may make me sound like a dummy but I'm going to share this tip because it's likely there are other newbies who could use this info.

We setup a small brooder in the unfinished basement of our home [because our shed didn't have electricity for a heat lamp.]
The brooder had pine shavings for the floor - I would change them weekly.

Around the fourth week the smell got bad enough that I build a new brooder with a wire bottom.
Droppings fell through the wire and were cleaned out daily.
That was better, but still wasn't good enough.
The smell was too much for inside the house.

Thankfully the weather is finally warm enough where I live [and the chicks old enough] that I can move them into the coop !

- - - - -

The lesson I learned is: [if the chicks will be in your house] then buy them late enough in the season that they can move to an outside brooder by the 4th week.

Your spouse will be much happier with you !

-:> Kevin, Kids and Chickens

 

[ranchhand]

Changing shavings daily would have solved that problem. Weekly doesn't work when they are little poop makers, spilling water and feed all over.

ETA, 13 are a mess anyway you do it- little winged pigs! The dust is what drives me nuts, I have a small room dedicated to hatching and brooding and every batch leaves 1/2" of dust on everything!

 

[Fred's Hens]

My tip would be that folks brood in their garage or right in their coop and avoid the house altogether.

That said, I have zero expectations that becoming a reality when so many folks are more pet oriented and so forth. It is what it is.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:

I think that's an excellent newbie tip.

For me, it would be entirely impractical to change shavings every single day like ranchhand suggested. And your lesson is one i also learned early on. I don't like chicks in the house very long. I love being able to go and check on them and fawn over them every 5 seconds, but after the newness wears off, i need those babies out of the house. We built an outdoor brooder, which i LOVE. I still keep chicks in the house for a couple of days just so i can oogle over them, but when i'm done breathing their dust, i can scoot them outside, where chick dust and poop smell belongs.

 

[GiddyMoon]

I am glad our chicks are not coming until this week..even though we are in Tucson. They will be right here in our laundry week for the first 2 weeks but the SIL just brought over a huge old whelping box perfect to use in the garage as a halfway house..I don't need smell!

 

[wholehearted]

We tried to account for this, but Ohio weather is just not cooperating this year. Our meaties came end of April and the layer chicks came yesterday. I thought that would be perfect for when they'd need to go out. Yet there is no end in sight to the cold and rain. UGH! Just thankful I did not try to get them sooner like I originally wanted to.

Dh is having fun trying to build the coop stuff in the garage (out of the rain) with the giant meatie brooder right in the middle of it all. LOL

ETA...our meaties needed to be out of the house/sunroom by the end of week 1. The stink was just too much already.

 

[egg_tastic]

I live in NC so I am hoping mine will be able to go out sooner than later! Mostly for their own benefits than mine.

I picked them up April 14th at a day old. They are three weeks old tomorrow. The smell isn't super but not awful. I change bedding every 3 days. There are 10 pullets in a huge wire dog crate. The dust is annoying. However, I see more of it when I give them dirt vs sand. On nice days they actually spend the days outside. That just happened for the first time yesterday. I am hoping that cuts down on the amount of cleaning needed! They are in my laundry room which has its own door. Plus, it has a door to outside that I open on nice days for ventiliation.

Actually, I have found taking care of the chickens to be easy and delightful!

 

[dweej]

Quote:
Yes! Compared to humans and dogs, the chicks have been a breeze for me too! And same here: in the utility room at the back of the house behind a closed door....just 8 chicks in a fairly large brooder. Two windows for cross-ventilation when needed. Outside on warm days for a bit to get used to it. New shavings as needed. Voila! Happy family, healthy chicks. My house could use some attention, but that's a whole different matter

 

[KansasBoy]

Fred's Hens :

My tip would be that folks brood in their garage or right in their coop and avoid the house altogether.

That said, I have zero expectations that becoming a reality when so many folks are more pet oriented and so forth. It is what it is.

Garage for me too!

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
You might try using a heavier shaving. The fine shavings like for small animal cages tend to be pretty dusty. I use the heavier shavings like for horses and I find it is less dusty. Of course, my chicks are only in their second week and I'm sure I have more mess to look forward to.